Refrigerating apparatus



- 5' sound and vibration absorbin 80 same, taken upon the line 2-2 of Figu Patented June 30, 193i tm 'nazn STATES PATENT orricn" OWEN I. NELSON, OH GBOBSE POINTE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 COPELAND PRODUCTS, INCORBORATED, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN BEIRIGERATING APPARATUS Application filed April 1, 1829. Serial Io.', ,351,812.

This invention relates to refrigeration, and particularly to mechanical refrigerating systems installed within suitable casings.

An object of the invention is to provide a support for the driving and driven rts 0 a mechanical refri eratmg system, c ective upon the base which it carries, throughout the marginal extent of said base 'Another object is to provide a sound and vibration absorber for supportingirefrigerating or other machines, comprising a resilient inflatable member of approximately annular" form. I 15 A further object is to form such an annular member so as to not only constitute a support for a machine base when inflated, but to also circumferentially embrace said .base so as to effectually absorb lateral as well as 20 vertical vibrations.

These and various other ob'ects theinvention attains by the, construction hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanyin drawin wherein:

igure 1 1s a front view of a refrigerator, showing a motor-compressor unit installed in the casin thereof and supported by the improved vi ration-absorbing member.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional'view of tlie re Figure 3 is a rs ive view of the shock and vibration-a or ing su port, showing a pump engaged therewith or inflating said support.

In refrigerating mechanisms of the type wherein the compressing and condensing mechanism is embodied in the same cabinet as the cooling element and the cabinet is adapted to be positioned in the kitchen or other room of the dwelling that persons are present in, it is desirable that the operation of the refrigerating. mechanism is as silent and unnoticeable as possible;- The operation of the electric motor commonly employed for driving the mechanism produces a-hum which is irritating to some individuals. It quite often happens in constructions as heretofore marketed that the cabinet will act as a sounding board for the motor and will thus a aveto the undesirable hum of the motor. ur-

-thermore, in the smaller types of refrigeratported in the cabinet. Accordingly, it isthe principal object of the present invention to provide means for insulatin the cabinet against transmission to it of the undesirable humming of the electric driving motor, and further insulate it from the vibration of the compressor.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character 1 desi ates the casin' of ame chanically coole refrigerator, aving in stalled'imits lower portion a refrigerant coinpressing and circulating unit comprising a compressor 2 and a motor 3 driving said compressor. Said motor is illustrated as further actuating a fan 4 adapted to cool a refrigerator-condensing coil5. The condensing coil 5 is connected by a tnbe such as 11 through a receiver 12 to an expansion'element-13 positioned in the cooling com artment 14 .of the cabinet. The other si e ofthe expansion element 13 is connected by the tube 15 to the suction side of'the com ressor 2. The'tubes 11 and 15 are preferab y provided with one or more loops such as 16 and 17, respectively, for a purpose which will be described later. The motor 3, compressor 2, bondenser 5 and receiver 12 are carried by a' suitable base 6, and between the latter and the bottom 7- of the casing 1, which is formed to rovide co-acting horizontal and vertical suraces 7a and 7b, respectively, is interposed my improved vibration-absorbing member 8. This has the nature of an endless tube of rubbar or other elastic material impervious to air, preformed to an L-shaped cross-section, and to a general rectangular form, conforming to that of the base 6, whereby the inwardly projecting lower portion 8a of said member rests against the surface 7a and forms a seat conforming to the base 6, and its upstanding portion 86 bears against the surface 76 and is adapted, when inflated, to snugly embrace m the edge of said base. At some suitable point an inflation valve member 9 is carried by the member 8, and is engageable by a suitable air pump 10. The member 8 is maintained under a relatively low pressure, only suflicient inflation being required to support the weight of the base 6 and parts carried thereby and to maintain the edges of the same out of contact with the surfaces 7?) of the base 7. The base 6, and all the parts carried thereby, therefore fioats on a cushion of air and is insulated from the cabinet proper thereby. Thus the vibrations of the motor 3 which cause the audible humming noise are prevented from reaching the cabinet proper through any connection which will permit transmission of the hummin noise to the cabinet, and the base 6 being oatingly suspended, is permitted to yield to the vibrations of the compressor, and such vibrations are accordingly prevented from becoming transmitted to the cabinet itself. It Will be apparent that this substantially eliminates any noise or vibration of the cabinet itself due to transmission of the same from the motor com ressor unit. The loops 16 and 17 previously referred to are provided in the tubing 11 and 15 in order that the movement of the motor-compressor unit on its base relative to the cabinet will not set up; undue stresses in the'tubing 11 and 15 w ich might otherwise induce breakage of the same.

While the described noise-eliminating and vibration-absorbing support has been disclosed as associated with a mechanicallycooled refrigerator, it is to be understood that said support may be employed to eliminate or minimize the noise and vibration produced by various kinds of othermachines, and

particularly those disposed within a casing,

tendin to accentuate such disturbances, but

I find it of greatest advantage in connection with refrigerating mechanisms of the type described, in order to prevent amplification of the audible sounds of the motor-compressor unit by the cabinet, and transmittal of physically apparent vibrations to the cabinet.

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention described without departing from the spiritland substance of the broad lnvention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims. I

What I claim is: v 1. As. a new article of manufacture, a. shock-absorbing support, having the form of an endless pneumatic tube forming an opening and comprising a seat-forming portion projecting into said opening, and an upstandmg portion adapted to embrace a seated memher.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a shock-absorbing support comprising an inflated resilient annular member having a portion marginal to its central aperture projecting inwardly to form a seat for a supported member, and having an upstanding portion surrounding said seat, adapted to embrace a member engaging said seat.

3. In combination with a base adapted to support machinery subject to vibration, means for supporting said base comprising an inflatable member having a vertical fiat 5. In combination with a base adapted to support machinery subject to vibration, means for supporting said base comprising an inflated rin -like member providing a fiat horizontal sur ace marginally embracing the bottom ofsaid base and a flat vertical surface embracing the side edges of said base.

6. In combination, a base bounded at its margins by co-operating horizontal and vertical surfaces, a machine subject to vibration mounted on said base, a support for said base having horizontal and vertical surfaces complementary to said marginal surfaces of said base, and an inflatable member interposed between said surfaces of said base and said surfaces of said support and embracin said marginal surfaces thereof for resillently maintaining said complementary surfaces in spaced relationship.

7. In a refrigeration cabinet, a support for the compressor and condenser comprising a base in the cabinet, an annular-step in the base, an annular resilient member L-shaped in cross section in the step and a base for the compressor and condenser seated in the resilient member.

8. The combination in claim 7 in which the L-shaped resilient member has an annular recess filled with compressed gas and the base for the compressor is held inwards horizontally by the resilient member.

' Q OWEN F. NELSON. 

